Cushioning pad



May 18, 1965 R. v. JOHNSON CUSHIONING PAD Filed March 18, 1963 RONALD I. Jw-wso/v 5/ BY mm ORNEY United States Patent 3,184,135 CUSHIONING PAD Ronald V. Johnson, Mirneapolis, Minn, assiguor to Waldorf Paper Products Company, St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Mar. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 265,793 2 Claims. ((1 229-14) This invention relates to an improvement in cushioning pad and deals particularly with a pad construction designed to fit between the corners of parallel rectangular panels to hold them in spaced parallel relationship.

In many instances, pairs of rectangular panels are shipped in a single package. For example, ping pong tables are usually formed of two table top sections of equal size, and these panels are shipped in a single package in spaced parallel contiguous relation in order to save shipping space. Means must be provided tor holding the panels in spaced parallel relation in order to prevent one panel from mar-ring the surface of the other panel during transportation and storage. It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and elfective corner pad which may be used for this purpose.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a corner pad construction which includes a pair of right angularly arranged panels designed to extend along the adjoining edges of the panels at the corners. Partition panels are hinged to certain of the panels and designed to extend between the panels to hold them spaced. Additional connecting panels are provided between the two first named panels to connect them and hold them in right angular relation. These latter panels extend in face contact with the outer surfaces of the panels to hold them assembled.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a device of the type described which is formed of a generally rectangular blank of paperboard, such as corrugated paperboard, which is of sufficient thickness to hold the panels in proper relation and which provide the desired cushioning effect.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a pad of the type described which can be quickly erected from a hat form to an assembled position in an extremely short period of time and without the use of special tools or equipment.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a construction of the type described in which the panels which overlie the surfaces of the panels as well as the edges thereof may all be of double thickness to provide an effective cushion.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the corner pad in erected position.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view through the pad, the position of the section being indicated by the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view through the pad, the position of the section being indicated by a vertical plane through broken line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the pad in partially erected condition.

FIGURE 5 is .a plan View of the pad blank while it is in flat form.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 showing the pad after the completion of the first folding operation.

The cushioning pad is indicated in general by the letter A, and is shown as including a substantially square first panel .10, and a rectangular panel 11 connected along a common line of fold 12. The panel 11 is preferably elongated in a direct-ion from the fold line 12 to the free end 13, and the panel 1-1 is slotted as indicated at 14, the slot extending at right angles to the fold line 12 connecting the panels 1G and 11. When the panels to be packed are of equal thickness, the slots 14 are located centrally between the side edges 15 of the panel 11.

The panel 11 is foldably connected along third and fourth edges 16 and 17 to generally rectangular panels 19 and 20, respectively. These panels 19 and 20 are foldably connected along fold lines .21 and 22 which are substantially extensions of the fold line 12 to panel portions 23 and 24. The width of the panels 23 and 24 are substantially equal to the distance between the edges 15 of the panel 11 and the slot 14 therein so that the panel portions 23 and 24 may fold into a common plane in face contact with the panel 11 as will be later described. The edges of the panel portions 23 and 214 which are parallel to the fold lines 21 and 22 are connected by fold lines 25 and 26 to partition panels 27 and 29 respectively. These partition panels 27 and 29 are preferably provided with rounded outer corners 30 and 3 1, respectively.

Where it is not necessary to make the panels 10, 19 and 20 of double thickness, the pad may be cut off along the edge defined by the fold line 32. However, in preferred fior m, the panels 1t), 19, and 20 are preferably connected to liner panels 33, 34, and respectively along the fold line 32. The panels 33, 34, and 35 are of substantially the same shape and area as the panels 10, 19, and 20 to which they are hinged so as to be substantially contiguous thereto in the erected form of the pad.

In view of the fact that the panels 33, 34, and 35 lie inwardly of the panels lid, 19, and 20 when these latter panels are folded into U-shaped form, slots 36 and 37 are provided between the center panel 33 and the outer liner panels 34 and 35, respectively. Usually, the center panel 33 is connected to the outer liner panels along short areas of connection 39 and 40 at the ends of the slots 35 and 37, these areas of connection 39 and 49 being short enough so that these portions may be deformed by the folding of the panels so as not to interfere with the formation of the double thickness walls.

In the erection of the corner pad, the blank is preferably fold-ed along the fold line 32 from the position shown in FIGURE 5 of the drawings to the position shown in FIGURE 6 so that the liner panels 33, 34, and 35 overlie the panels 1t), l9, and 26 to which they are hinged. The panel 1 1 is then folded up into right angular relation to the panel 19 to which it is hinged, and the walls 19 and 20 with their liner panels 34 and 35 are folded up to also extend in right angular relation to the bottom panel 16. The panel portions 23 and 24 which bear the partition panels 27 and 29 are then folded so that the partition panels 27 and 29 extend through the slot 14 in face contact with one another and the panel portions 23 and 24 lie outwardly of the panel 11 and in face contact therewith. This operation is greatly simplified if, during the assembly operation, the panel 11 is swung forwardly or in the direction of a the arrow 41 in FIGURE 4 of the drawings until the panel 11 is near the liner panel 33 overlying the bottom panel 10. After the partition panels have been inserted through the lower portion of the slot 14, the panel 11 may be folded up in a reverse direction to the arrow, the slot 14 being of approximately the same length as a diagonal from the curved corners 30 and 31 of the partition panels to the diagonally opposite corners of these panels so that this reverse folding can take place.

'3 Q When fully assembled, the pad appearsas in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. When the pad is used, the panel 11 extends along one edge of the two contiguous panels (portions of which are indicated in dotted outline at B in FIGURE 2 of the drawings) and the liner panel 33 and bottom panel extend along the right angularly extending edges of these panels. The partition panels 27 and 29 extend between the two panels, while the panels 19 and 20 and their liners 3'4 .and 35, respective'ly extend over the outer opposed surfaces of the contiguous panels B. Thus the panels are held in spaced parallel relation, and are protected from rubbing together during shipment. The panels are either Wrapped or con -tained in an outer container in the usual manner, the wrapper or container holding the pads .in proper position.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in cushioning pad, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

1 claim:

1. A blank for forming a corner pad for a pair of spaced parallel members and including three generally square panels of substantially equal size connected along parallel fold lines, a rectangular panel hinged to an edge of the intermediate panel of the series and being longer in a direction at right angles to the line of binge than in width, said rectangular panel having a slot therein slot substantially equaling the diagonal distance across said partition panels.

'2. A blank for forming a corner pad for a pair of spaced parallel members and including three generally square panels of substantially equal size connected along parallel fold lines, a rectangular panel hinged to an edge of the intermediate panel of the series and being longer in a direction at right'tangles t-o the'line of hinge than in width, said rectangular panel having a slot therein of a length greater than the width 'of said square panels and extending at right angles to the hinge line supporting the same, panel portions hinged to the edges of the remaining two square panelsralong fold lines substantially alignedwith the hinge line connecting the rectangular panel to :the intermediate square panel, said .panel portions being substantially equal in length to the distance between the adjacent edge of the rectangular panel and'sa-id slot, partition panels foldably connected to the ends of said panel portions, and a reinforcing panel hingedtly connected to each said square panel along a li-ne'of fiold parallel to those connecting the panel portions and .a rectangular panel to said square panels, said reinforcing panels being substantially equal in size ,to

said square panels.

References Cited by the Examiner UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,667,279 4/ 28 Allen 206 2,235,800 *3/41 Daly 22927 2,578 ,-774 12/51 Belsinger 229-27 2,604,255 7/52 Welshenbaoh 22'9-27 2,620,921 12/ 52 Schaller 20660 3,017,022 1/62 'AInundson 206-:60

THERON E. CO'NDON, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, Examiner.

to the ends of said panel portions, the length of said 

2. A BLANK FOR FORMING A CORNER PAD FOR A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL MEMBERS AND INCLUDING THREE GENERALLY SQUARE PANELS OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL SIZE CONNECTED ALONG PARALLEL FOLD LINES, A RECTANGULAR PANEL HINGED TO AN EDGE OF THE INTERMEDIATE PANEL OF THE SERIES AND BEING LONGER IN A DIRECTION AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE LINE OF HINGE THAN IN WIDTH, SAID RECTANGULAR PANEL HAVING A SLOT THEREIN OF A LENGTH GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID SQUARE PANELS AND EXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE HINGE LINE SUPPORTING THE SAME, PANEL PORTIONS HINGED TO THE EDGES OF THE REMAINING TWO SQUARE PANELS ALONG FOLD LINES SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE HINGE LINE CONNECTING THE RECTANGULAR PANEL TO THE INTERMEDIATE SQUARE PANEL, SAID PANEL PORTIONS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN LENGTH TO THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ADJACENT EDGE OF THE RECTANGULAR PANEL AND SAID SLOT, PARTITION PANELS FOLDABLY CONNECTED TO THE ENDS OF SAID PANEL PORTIONS, AND A REINFORCING PANEL HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO EACH SWUARE PANEL ALONG A LINE OF FOLD PARALLEL TO THOSE CONNECTING THE PANEL PORTIONS AND A RECTANGULAR PANEL TO SAID SQUARE PANELS, SAID REINFORCING PANELS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN SIZE TO SAID SQUARE PANELS. 